The Omaha JV orning Bee_ VOL. 52—NO. 291. i,i«,,d .. a im.i OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, * 1923. * ^ "I..!'/." \Tio?.‘'Z «•"'*» TWO CENTS '* V^c*:,11. Omaha P. 0. Unoar Act of Marah 3» lo/a. __ - ■■ ■ — Commoner Defeated in ChurchRow Evolutionists Score Victory in Presbyterian General As sembly—Battle Bitter • esl in 30 Years. ————— Personalities Reached Uy ApscclRted 1‘rrsR. Inda.iapolia, Ind.. May 22.—William Jennings Bryan was defeated and evolutionist* scored a victory today, when the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America defeated the Com moner's resolution to bar schools per mitUng the teaching of the evolution- j ary hypothesis from use of church ! funds. The assembly adopted a substitute resolution offered by John Willis ! Ba r or Pasadena which in mild terms | directed synods and presbyteries to "withhold their offieia\ approval" j from educational institutions “where 1 any teaching or instruction is gfven I which seeks to establish a mater- I ialistic evolutionary philosophy of life or which disregards or attempts to j discredit the Christian faith." if'.ttrrly Waged Fight. The fundamentalists, under Mr Bryan's leadership.'went down fight ing inr. the most bitterly waged si nig gle the general assembly has seen, according to church historians, since yharics A. Brggs of Union Theolo gical Seminary was unfrocked more ; than 3o years ago because of his Old i Testament criticisms. In the final fight, it was layman, against layman, with Mr. Bryan j against Mr. Baer in a debate- that even reached an exchange of person-1 alities. Mr. Baer, a California l n,:<- j er and only layman who has ever held tlie office rf moderator, is chair-] man of the committee on edtn ation. whirh had rejected the Bryan rcsolu tion i nits report. Mr. Bryan Is vici chat email of the committee. The argument reached personalities, when Mr. Baer, presenting his rseo lution, declared Mr. Bryan "is as honest as he can lie—but he is mis taken. as he h is been before." Bryan Tells History. "I want to object to the statement made by Brother Baer," the common er shouted, when the assembly granted him 15 minutes to reply. "I don't want my democracy used against this eause. I don't want any republican to upper1 to republican prejudices by referring to my democratic beliefs.” "I helped tills nation get prohibi tion. Did you do a/iy more. Brother •iaer? Was I mistaken in thHt fight? I helped this nation £et women's suf bage. Did you do any more than I. 'ml was l mistaken then? I want you o know I have been engaged in eight great national reforms in the last '5 years. Was I mistaken in those isr.ues ?" ^r